Fastening for ironing-board covers and the like.



E. D. GORDON. FASTENING FOR IBONING BOARD covms AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION IILED APR. 10. 1912.

1 070 791 Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

ELISE D. eonnon, or wrisr ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

FASTENING FOR IRONING-BOARD COVERS AND'TI-IE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Application filed April 10, 1912. Serial No. 689,750.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELIsn D. GonnoN, a citizen of the United States, residing atlVest Roxbury, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fastenings for Ironing-Board Covers and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fastening devices. I

More particularly it relates to an improved device in the nature of tackle for detachably engaging and fastening the cover on an ironing board, and for use in like cases where it isdesired to draw two or more edges of a fabric together, and to hold them firmly.

It is customary to cover an ironing board with a pad, and to place a sheet or smooth cotton cloth over the pad, wrapping it three-quarters around the board, and fastening it underneath, with its top drawn and held smooth by fastening the underneath portions in the extreme positions to which they can be drawn. Hitherto various homely expedients have been adopted for this purpose, such as pinning it to the pad, or tacking it to the board, the cover itself being usually a cloth that has formerly done service as a sheet, and is unprovided with any special or convenient means for being fastened. However, the cover ought to be removed occasionally, and has to be renewed occasionally, so that it is desirable to have a fastening which not only will hold the cover satisfactorily, but which also is easily removable and replaceable without the loss of time that has been required by means hitherto in use so far as I am aware. In fact, the absence of any such quick means is the occasion in the servicedepartment of many households, of the cover being retained in use long after it would be well for hygienic reasons to have it removed.

It is the object of the present invention to provide such a fastening device. This obj ect is accomplished by the device herein described, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a device in use on an ironing board; Fig. 2 shows the device alone, on a larger scale; Fig. 3 shows a detail; and Figs. l and 5 show alternative or modified forms of the same detail.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents an ironing board, the back side of which is seen, wlth a portion of the pad 11 where it is turned over upon the back and fastened with tacks. i

12 is the cover, wrapped around the face of the board and pad, with its two edges 13 and 14 arranged on the back of the board, the cover being also wrapped around one or both ends of the board. The method of fastening herein illustrated consists of the use of a special device consisting of a cord 15 on which are strung loosely a suitable number of cylinders or eyelets 16 from each of which projects a double pin 17. The cord also terminates in pin fastenings, one of those represented, that at the right hand end, being similar to the medial fastoners; and the other, an alternated form shown at the left, being slightly different as illustrated. One of the cylinders 16 is seen on a larger scale in Fig. 3. It consists of a simple tube through which runs the stock of a double pointed pin 17 the two ends of the pin being bent around the ends of the tube to form inclosing notches '18, and thence projecting in prongs to sharp points 19. The notches hold the pin permanently in place on the cylinder; and the tubular formation holds the pin on the cord. Subject to these conditions the pin may be loosely held in the cylinder if desired, and is loose to slide to and fro on the cord.

Fig. 4 shows another form of pin, in which the eyelet and pin are integral with each other, a blank of sheet metal being punched so as to form the prongs 19, and the intervening tongue of metal 16 being rolled upward and backward into the form of a cylinder,

Fig. 5 represents another kind of eyelet and pin which can be used, in which a piece of wire is formed into a coil 16; its ends 19'. projecting, and being sharpened.

The cord 15 may be of any suitable size or strength.

Having two prongs prevents a pin from being twisted too much by draft on the cord. The pin may however be of any suitable type.

The manner of using the device is illustrated in Fig. 1. The cover having been put in place one of the terminal pins of the device is inserted in one edge 13 of the cover, the nearest sliding pin is then inserted in the opposite edge 14 of the cover, and the next sliding pin in the edge 13, and so on alternately. It is not necessary to put the pins in precisely uniform position, nor to have uniform lengths of cord between them. The cord may be quickly drawn to whatever degree of tightness is desired, sliding freely through the cylinders so that its tension on all parts of the cover is uniform. In this respect it is superior to ordinary eyelets because the cord is not pinched between the eyelet and the board; and because the eyelet is readily movable. If the draft of the cord be such as to produce a wrinkle anywhere, the adjacent pin can easily be shifted to another position. The draft of the cord upon the pins may take place in any direction, as for example, where the top row of pins are seen to be drawn downward and the two pins at the extreme left in Fig. 1 are drawn to the right. Whatever length of cord remains beyond the last sliding or eyelet pin, which will vary from time to time with the size of the cover, the position in which the pins are placed and thetension of the cord, is held taut, thus fastening the whole cord, by putting the terminal pin at whatever distance is necessary from the last sliding pin.

The use of this device, requires only a small pad 11, which need not reach much beyond the edge of the board, so that in sticking the pins through the cover the points shall touch and slide upon the wood without engaging the pad, thus leaving the pin free to be drawn toward the center of the board, the pad being fastened to the board, as illustrated. However, either terminal pin, if desired, may be firmly anchored by inserting it through a portion of the cover which is over the pad.

One advantage of the use of pins of the type shown in F 5 is that these being made of spring wire, the prongs may be made somewhat spreading with respect to each other. At the moment of insertion the user can press these prongs together so that they enter parallel, but after being inserted they spread apart so that the pin cannot fall out even when there is no tension on the cord. And when there is tension on the cord the cylinder will bend a little, furnishing a smooth curved guide through which the cord may slip when drawn.

In Fig. 2 the terminal pin at the left is illustrated as having a metal strip 20 passing through the cylinder, and having a loop outside to which the cord may be fastened, so that the pull of the single cord upon one of these cylinders is in the direction in which its pin prongs point. A similar effect may, however, be attained by using one of the regular cylinder pins by passing the cord through the cylinder and tying it to itself, illustrated at the right hand end in Fig. 2.

It will thus be seen that the device has the advantage of being quickly removable and replaceable because the cord stays permanently threaded through the eyelets, and the eyelets are insertible in any cover by means of the pins. Hence the device is applicable to ordinary household uses in cases, which are very common, where an ordinary sheet or cotton cloth is employed for the covering, instead of some special commercially purchased cover or board. Any degree of draft can be applied to make the cover smooth, without disengaging and re-attaching a fastener. If any portion of the cover becomes torn, the pin can readily be put in some other portion that is whole, and canbe put through as may thicknesses as are desired.

I claim: is

l. Tackle, comprising a cord; a multipl1city of pins permanently mounted thereon and movable longitudinally thereof; said pins being each adapted to be repeatedly e11- gaged directly with and alternately disengaged fro-m any part of fabric to which the tackle is to be applied, each pin having means to engage said cord permanently as aforesaid; and means to prevent the escape of said movable pins at either end of said cord.

2. Tackle, comprising a cord; a multiplicity of pins :(JGIlIlZLHGDtlY mounted thereon and movable longitudinally thereof; said pins being each adapted to be repeatedly engaged directly with and alternately disengaged from any part of fabric to which the tackle is to be applied, each pin having means to engage said cord pern'lanently as aforesaid; and similar pins immovable from the terminals of said cord.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 5th Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

